Cosmetic container

ABSTRACT

A cosmetic container comprises an outer shell comprising a concave inner surface that defines an inner space. An inner shell comprises a top and a bottom, where the bottom is at least partially located within the inner space of the outer shell. One or more engagement features are positioned proximate the top of the inner shell. A liquid-tight chamber is defined between the outer shell and the inner shell and contains a material with a refractive index greater than 1.0.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This patent application is a non-provisional of, and claims the priorityand benefit of, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/459,760,filed on Feb. 16, 2017. The entire contents of such application arehereby incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This application is directed generally to the field of containers orvessels for holding cosmetics and more specifically to a two-layer ornested cosmetic container having an outer shell and an inner shell whichdefine a liquid-tight cavity between them that contains a renewable andbiodegradable composition.

BACKGROUND

The cosmetic industry is a multi-billion dollar industry which sells awide range of cosmetic products. Certain cosmetic products, such ashigh-end wrinkle and face creams, are packaged differently in order toenhance the user's experience and impart a sense of quality and luxuryto the overall product. For many years, two-layered jars or containershave been used in the packaging of such high-end cosmetics. Typically,these two-layered jars incorporate a transparent outer shape or shellwith one diameter and a separate translucent or opaque inner shell orshape, which includes a cavity to hold the cosmetic product. Thediameter of this cavity is smaller than the outer diameter such that theinner shell is nested within the outer shell. Sometimes, the inner shellor cavity is a different shape than the outer shell or shape in order toenhance the overall aesthetic appearance of the jar.

The formation of these two-layered containers usually includes twoshells made of glass or ceramic with a thick layer of resin, such asSurlyn®, sandwiched between each shell. Other containers have a solidresin layer surrounding the inner shell. The resin is used to increasethe weight of the jar to make it a more substantial product as well asfor creating an optical distortion of the inner shell when viewedthrough the outer shell or solid resin layer. When the outer shell orsolid resin layer is transparent, the relatively high refractive indexof the resin distorts the shape of the inner shell creating a uniqueaesthetic appearance and making the inner shell appear to be suspendedwithin the outer shell. However, these resins are expensive and resultin high manufacturing costs. Moreover, the large amount of resin andother material comprising these containers increases the amount of wastewhen the containers are discarded, which increases its overallenvironmental impact.

The foregoing background describes some, but not necessarily all, of theproblems, disadvantages and shortcomings related to current cosmeticcontainers. There is a general and pervasive need in the field toprovide a cosmetic container that is aesthetically pleasing, lessexpensive to manufacture, and causes a lesser impact to the environment.

SUMMARY

In an embodiment, a cosmetic container comprises an outer shellcomprising an inner surface that defines an inner space. An inner shellcomprises a top and a bottom. The bottom of the inner shell is at leastpartially located within the inner space of the outer shell. One or moreengagement features are positioned proximate the top of the inner shell.A liquid-tight chamber is defined between the outer shell and the innershell and contains a material or composition with a refractive indexgreater than 1.0.

In another embodiment, the container comprises an outer shell comprisinga top and a bottom. The outer shell comprises an inner surface whichdefines an interior space. An inner shell comprising a top and a bottomis coupled to the outer shell. The inner shell is at least partiallylocated within the interior space of the outer shell. A liquid-tightchamber is defined between the outer shell and the inner shell andcontains a material with a refractive index greater than 1.0.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

So that the manner in which the features of the invention can beunderstood, a detailed description of the invention may be had byreference to certain embodiments, some of which are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the drawingsillustrate only certain embodiments of this invention and are thereforenot to be considered limiting of its scope, for the scope of theinvention encompasses other equally effective embodiments. The drawingsare not necessarily to scale, emphasis generally being placed uponillustrating the features of certain embodiments of the invention. Inthe drawings, like numerals are used to indicate like parts throughoutthe various views. Thus, for further understanding of the invention,reference can be made to the following detailed description, read inconnection with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross section view of an embodiment of a two-layer cosmeticcontainer;

FIG. 2 is a front isometric view of the embodiment of the cosmeticcontainer of FIG. 1 with the lid removed;

FIG. 3 is a cross section view of the embodiment of the cosmeticcontainer of FIG. 1 with a filled chamber;

FIG. 4 is a front isometric view of an embodiment of a cosmeticcontainer according to the disclosure with a chamber filled with saltsolution;

FIG. 5 is a front isometric view of a prior art cosmetic container witha with a solid resin layer; and

FIG. 6 is a front isometric view of a cosmetic container with an airpocket between the layers;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following discussion relates to various embodiments of a cosmeticcontainer or jar. It will be understood that the herein describedversions are examples that embody certain inventive concepts as detailedherein. To that end, other variations and modifications will be readilyapparent to those of sufficient skill. In addition, certain terms areused throughout this discussion in order to provide a suitable frame ofreference with regard to the accompanying drawings. These terms such as“forward”, “rearward”, “interior”, “exterior”, “front”, “back”, “top”,“bottom”, “inner”, “outer”, and the like are not intended to limit theseconcepts, except where so specifically indicated. The terms “about” or“approximately” as used herein is meant to include the disclosed valueas well as a range of values from 80-120% of the disclosed value. Withregard to the drawings, their purpose is to depict salient features ofthe cosmetic container and are not specifically provided to scale.

First and as illustrated in the embodiments of FIGS. 1, and 3-4, acosmetic container or jar 100 generally includes an outer shell 110, aninner shell 120, and a lid 130. A chamber or cavity 140 is formedbetween the outer shell 110 and the inner shell 120.

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, the outer shell 110 has a top 112, a bottomsurface 114, an outer surface 116, and an inner surface 118. As shown,the outer surface 116 and inner surface 118 are concave andsubstantially parallel to each other or conform to the shape of eachother. However in other embodiments, the outer and inner surfaces 116,118 may not be substantially parallel to each other or may not conformin shape to each other. The inner surface 118 defines an interior space.The top 112 of the outer shell 110 may comprise a notch 117 or shoulderpositioned on the inner surface 118 of the outer shell 110. As shown,the bottom surface 114 of the outer shell 110 comprises an indentationor depression 111 positioned substantially at the center of the bottomsurface 114 and extends into the interior space of the outer shell 110.The shape and size of the indentation 111 may vary in differentembodiments. As shown in FIG. 1, one or more troughs 113 may bepositioned proximate the indentation 111. The outer shell 110 is formedfrom a suitable rigid and impact resistant material that is transparent,such as glass or a plastic like polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

Still referring to FIGS. 1-3, an inner shell 120 is at least partiallynested or positioned within the interior space of the outer shell 110.The inner shell has a top 122 and a bottom 124. As shown, the top 122 ofthe inner shell 120 extends above the top 112 of the outer shell 110.The inner shell 120 has an interior surface 128 that defines a cavity150 configured to keep or store a cosmetic product. As shown in FIGS.1-3, the exterior surface 126 of the inner shell 120 conforms to theshape of the interior surface 128, however in other embodiments, theexterior surface 126 of the inner shell 120 may not conform to the shapeof the interior surface 128.

Still referring to the embodiments of the cosmetic container illustratedin FIGS. 1-3, the inner shell 120 may comprise one or more engagementfeatures 121 positioned proximate the top 122. As shown in the assembledposition illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3, the inner shell 120 and the outershell 110 are coupled together to produce a liquid tight seal. The notch117 engages an extension 125 (FIG. 1) or wing that extends from theexterior surface 126 of the inner shell 120. The manner and method ofproducing the liquid tight seal may vary according to differentembodiments. Once coupled together, the exterior surface 126 of theinner shell 120 and the inner surface 118 of the outer shell 110 definea liquid-tight chamber 140. As shown, the liquid-tight chamber 140 isalso air-tight. The inner shell 120 is formed from a suitable rigid andimpact resistant material such as glass or a plastic like PET. In anembodiment, the inner shell 120 may be transparent or opaque.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, a lid 130 has a top surface 132 and a bottomsurface 134. The bottom surface 134 may have one or more resilientsealing elements configured to contact the top 122 of the inner shell120 when the lid 130 is installed or in a closed position. As shown inFIGS. 1-3, the lid 130 has an outer annular surface 136 and an innerannular surface 138. One or more complimentary engagement features 131are formed on the inner annular surface 138 and are configured to coupleto the one or more engagement features 121 of the inner shell 120 tofrom a liquid-tight seal between the lid 130 and the inner shell 120.Once coupled together, the bottom surface 134 of the lid 130 acts toseal and bound the cavity 150 defined by the interior surface 128 of theinner shell 120. The outer annular surface 136 may include one moresurface features configured to assist a user in opening and closing thelid 130.

Referring to FIG. 5, an example of a prior art cosmetic container 200uses multiple layers of resin, typically an acrylic resin, or any otherclear resin, to surround the inner shell 220 and create a transparentsolid resin layer 210. This transparent solid resin layer 210 has arefractive index of about 1.5 or more, which results in a distortedimage of the inner shell 220 when viewing through the transparent solidresin layer 210. In addition to the optical distortion, the multiplelayers of resin or solid resin layer adds weight or heft to the cosmeticcontainer 200 to impart a sense of quality and luxury to the overallproduct. However, these resins are expensive to produce which leads toincreased manufacturing costs. In addition, these cosmetic containers200 create a lot of waste when they are discarded due to the largeamount of non-biodegradable resin used to manufacture the cosmeticcontainer 200.

In contrast, FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a cosmetic container 300using air to fill a chamber 340 present between a transparent outershell 310 and an inner shell 320. Due to the relatively low refractiveindex of air (about 1.0), very little distortion is seen when viewingthe inner shell 320 through the transparent outer shell 310. The use ofair also does not impart the desired heaviness or weight to the cosmeticcontainer 300 that the transparent solid resin layer 210 does. However,unlike the resin, air is inexpensive to produce and has essentially noenvironmental impact. Therefore, the cosmetic container 300 illustratedin FIG. 6 is cheaper to manufacturer and results in less waste whendiscarded, which decreases its overall environmental impact.

In comparison and as shown in FIGS. 3-4, the disclosed cosmeticcontainer 100 has a renewable and environmentally friendly composition142 which occupies the liquid-tight chamber 140 and is configured tocreate a similar optical illusion and weight as the transparent solidresin layer 210 (FIG. 5), but with a decreased manufacturing cost andenvironmental impact. As shown in FIG. 3, the composition 142 is a saltwater solution having a salt concentration such that a refractive indexof the salt solution is about 1.33. In other embodiments, otherrenewable and biodegradable compositions may be used. As referred toherein, the term “composition” includes solute/solvent combinations,solids or semi-solids, or any combination thereof. It can be appreciatedby a person of skill in the art that other compositions or combinationsof compositions may have varying refractive indices, freezing/meltingpoints, and antimicrobial properties. In these other embodiments, thefinal refractive index of the composition or combination of compositionsis about 1.33.

In an embodiment, the salt solution comprises sodium chloride dissolvedin water, however in other embodiments, different salts and/or solventsmay be used would be appropriate for the specific application. It can beunderstood by a person of ordinary skill in the art that theconcentration of the salt solution or the amount of salt dissolved in aparticular solvent to achieve a refractive index of about 1.33 willdepend on number of factors including, but not limited to, thesolubility of the salt in the solvent, the temperature of the solvent,and the ambient air pressure.

As shown in FIG. 4, the salt water solution has a greater refractiveindex than water or air, which increases its optical illusion ordistortion properties as compared to the embodiment of a cosmeticcontainer 300 in FIG. 6. The salt solution also resists freezing andcracking of the cosmetic container 100 during storage and shipping asthe freezing point of salt water is lower than that of water. Inaddition, the antimicrobial properties of the salt solution prevent orhinder microbial growth that can cause spoilage or contamination of theproduct.

Additional embodiments include any one of the embodiments describedabove and described in any and all exhibits and other materialssubmitted herewith, where one or more of its components, functionalitiesor structures is interchanged with, replaced by or augmented by one ormore of the components, functionalities or structures of a differentembodiment described above.

It should be understood that various changes and modifications to theembodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in theart. Such changes and modifications can be made without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the present disclosure and without diminishingits intended advantages.

Although several embodiments of the disclosure have been disclosed inthe foregoing specification, it is understood by those skilled in theart that many modifications and other embodiments of the disclosure willcome to mind to which the disclosure pertains, having the benefit of theteaching presented in the foregoing description and associated drawings.It is thus understood that the disclosure is not limited to the specificembodiments disclosed herein above, and that many modifications andother embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of theappended claims. Moreover, although specific terms are employed herein,as well as in the claims which follow, they are used only in a genericand descriptive sense, and not for the purposes of limiting the presentdisclosure, nor the claims which follow.

1. A cosmetic container comprising: an outer shell comprising a concaveinner surface defining an inner space; an inner shell comprising a topand a bottom, the bottom being at least partially located within theinner space of the outer shell, and one or more engagement featuresdisposed proximate the top; a liquid-tight chamber defined between theouter shell and the inner shell; and a material with a refractive indexgreater than 1.0 located within the liquid-tight chamber.
 2. Thecosmetic container of claim 1 further comprising a lid having an outerannular surface and an inner annular surface, wherein the inner annularsurface comprises one or more complimentary engagement featuresconfigured to interact with the one or more engagement features of theinner shell.
 3. The cosmetic container of claim 1, wherein the materialis a salt solution.
 4. The cosmetic container of claim 3, wherein thesalt solution comprises sodium chloride dissolved in water.
 5. Thecosmetic container of claim 3, wherein the refractive index of the saltsolution is about 1.33.
 6. The cosmetic container of claim 1, whereinthe outer shell further comprises a bottom surface having at least oneindentation or depression that extends into the liquid-tight chamber. 7.The cosmetic container of claim 1, wherein the outer shell furthercomprises a shoulder configured to engage a portion of the inner shell.8. The cosmetic container of claim 2, wherein the lid further comprisesone or more surface features configured to assist in coupling anddecoupling the lid to the inner shell.
 9. The cosmetic container ofclaim 1, wherein the material is renewable and biodegradable.
 10. Acontainer comprising: an outer shell comprising a top and a bottom, theouter shell comprising an inner surface defining an interior space; aninner shell comprising a top and a bottom and is coupled to the outershell, wherein the inner shell is at least partially located within theinterior space of the outer shell; a liquid-tight chamber definedbetween the outer shell and the inner shell; and a material with arefractive index greater than 1.0 located within the liquid-tightchamber.
 11. The container of claim 10, further comprising a lid havingan outer annular surface and an inner annular surface, wherein the innerannular surface is configured to removeably couple with a portion of theinner shell.
 12. The container of claim 10, wherein the inner shellfurther comprises one or more engagement features disposed proximate thetop.
 13. The container of claim 11, wherein the inner annular surface ofthe lid comprises one or more complimentary engagement featuresconfigured to interact with the one or more engagement features of theinner shell.
 14. The container of claim 10, wherein the material is asalt solution.
 15. The container of claim 14, wherein the refractiveindex of the salt solution is about 1.33.
 16. The container of claim 10,wherein the outer shell further comprises a shoulder configured toengage a portion of the inner shell.
 17. The container of claim 11,wherein the lid further comprises one or more surface featuresconfigured to assist in coupling and decoupling the lid to the innershell.
 18. The container of claim 10, wherein the material is renewableand biodegradable.